10 Pretty French Towns Near Paris You’ll Just Love!

There’s something about the charm of French villages that just makes them so appealing. Perhaps it’s the little lanes, maybe it’s the charming architecture. I’m not sure, but of course, there’s always oodles of history just waiting to be discovered. Here are 10 pretty French towns near Paris you’ll just love!

Sceaux

Accessible via the end of the RER B, you’ll find the charming town of Sceaux. Pretty in spring with plenty of spring blossom and even an entire cherry blossom orchard in the grounds of the castle, Sceaux is just as lovely throughout the rest of the year as well. After all, there’s a château to visit, a park to wander around and plenty of eateries to eat your way through.

Versailles

Of course, for first (or second or third) time visitors to Paris, you can’t visit the twinkling city of lights and not make the (at least) half day trip out of the city to see Versailles. After all, outside of Paris proper, it’s one of the main attractions that the Île de France region has to offer.

Senlis

An hour drive from the centre of Paris, you’ll find the charming town of Senlis. This French commune sits fondly in my memory as a place with plenty of history and oodles of sunshine as I visited on my Birthday a couple of years ago.

The town has three museums (the museum of art and archaeology, the museum of the hunts & the museum of Spahis.) There’s also a historic abbey, the ruins of a Roman arena and a medieval cellar, all waiting to be discovered and explored…

The ancient town of Senlis also has links with French heroine, Joan of Arc. Between the 15th and 16th of August 1429, Joan of Arc led her French troops in the historic battle of Montépilloy (close to Senlis), leading them to victory against the English. There’s a commemorative plaque in the church celebrating her victory.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Only half an hour away on the RER A from the centre of Paris, you’ll find the sweet town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. This town makes the list of pretty French towns near Paris not only because of its lovely architecture and wonderful eateries but also because it has a large forest and charming château (which now houses a fantastic museum of archaeology).

Aside from the museum, the château itsself is well worth a look, if only for its impressive architecture and the fact that Louis XIV was born there! Elsewhere in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, there’s the real-life Château de Monte Cristo (Alexander Dumas’ country mansion) and Musée Claude Debussy in the iconic composer’s birthplace.

Chartres

Located in the Loire valley, Chartres is a gateway to the land of castles. Located in the Eure-et-Loire department of France, the city is best known for its impressive cathedral, oodles of medieval architecture and fascinating museums. Since the middle ages, the town has also been the destination for many Catholic pilgrimages, meaning that there’s also a wealth of ecclesiastical buildings and history to learn about as well.

Provins

Provins is a fully preserved medieval town just under 2 hours away from the city centre of Paris. Although a little further away from the city than some of the other pretty French towns near Paris, Provins is well worth the (slightly). After all, it’s not every day that you get the chance to visit a basilica where Joan of Arc attended mass, or that you get the opportunity to climb a medieval tower dating all the way back to the 12th-century.

Meaux

Around 40 minutes away from the centre of Paris, you’ll find Meaux. Famous for its Brie and Mustard (although little-known is that much of the Meaux Brie is now fabricated in the Lorraine region of France). If you’re not a great foodie, then Meaux offers plenty of other historical and cultural activites.

There are plenty of outdoor fun for those who want to experience life in France outside of Paris in the form of walks, water activities, and hiking. In Meaux, you’ll also find the Musée de la Grande Guerre (Museum of the Great War) which is one of the biggest museums about WWI in all of Europe, if not the world.

Auvers-Sur-Oise

The commune of Auvers-Sur-Oise is surrounded by rolling green hills and even has its own château (which is open to the public and can be visited for a fee). Head to Auvers-Sur-Oise to learn all about the infamous drink absinthe in the absinthe museum, and to trace the footsteps of Van Gogh who lived here for a few months before his death.

In the town’s cemetery, you’ll find the final resting place of the great artist himself as well as the grave of Van Gogh’s brother Theo. In the rest of the town there are trails inspired by A day trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise can easily be combined with a trip to nearby L’Isle Adam, a charming town with its own sandy beach.

Fontainebleau

With a pretty castle to rival Versailles, Fontainebleau definitely can’t be missed off the list and is easily one of the most fairytale day trips from the city of love. “Versailles without the crowds” is one of the best ways to describe the château, and the town is equally as magical…

Apart from the castle, you can wander through the great forest (which was used as hunting grounds for the French royal family in the 12th-Century) and visit the charming house museum of Musee Stephane Mallarme.

Rueil-Malmaison

Situated on RER line A, Rueil-Malmaison is only around thirty minutes from the centre of Paris. Complete with a French Château, it’s the epitome of a typical French town. The Château here was once the official residence of Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon, meaning that chances are when you’re wandering through the property, you’ll be walking in the very steps that the empress herself walked in.

The rest of the town is full of bakeries, patisseries and located along the Seine (which is lovely to go for a cycle along or to go for a quick jog along on a warm summer’s evening), in Rueil-Malmaison you’ll find plenty of small churches and museums. Of all the pretty French towns day trips from Paris, Rueil-Malmaison may well be the most underrated…

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Sophie Nadeau currently resides in the beautiful British countryside. With a love of history, photography, and all things France related, she runs www.solosophie.com when she's not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming her weight in sweet food.

I grew up in the suburbs of Paris and I can’t believe I only visited half of these places. I had no idea Sceaux was charming at all. Well, I’m a bit too far away now but I’ll make sure my Parisian friends know about it 😀 Thanks for sharing!

What a great list of adorable little towns! They’re SO CUTE omg. I absolutely adore wandering around cute little places like the ones you mentioned. Can’t wait to visit Paris and check out these towns! Also, your pictures are gorgeous 🙂

OMG these are such beautiful towns, and each of them look straight out of a French fairytale! I also love that they are so close to Paris, and I will have to make a stop at some of them the next time I go to Paris! Thanks for this great list, definitely saving for future reference.

Love your list of beautiful little towns. France is such an amazing country! I prefer exploring outside the major cities but didn’t know about these. Visiting Fountainbleau would have saved me the lines of Versailles! Beautiful pics too!

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